Effects of Hypoxia on Coral Photobiology and Oxidative Stress
Mark Deleja,
José Ricardo Paula,
Tiago Repolho,
Marco Franzitta,
Miguel Baptista,
Vanessa Lopes,
Silvia Simão,
Vanessa F. Fonseca,
Bernardo Duarte,
Rui Rosa
Affiliations
Mark Deleja
MARE—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Laboratório Marítimo da Guia and ARNET—Aquatic Research Infrastructure Network Associated Laboratory, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Nossa Senhora do Cabo, 939, 2750-374 Cascais, Portugal
José Ricardo Paula
MARE—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Laboratório Marítimo da Guia and ARNET—Aquatic Research Infrastructure Network Associated Laboratory, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Nossa Senhora do Cabo, 939, 2750-374 Cascais, Portugal
Tiago Repolho
MARE—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Laboratório Marítimo da Guia and ARNET—Aquatic Research Infrastructure Network Associated Laboratory, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Nossa Senhora do Cabo, 939, 2750-374 Cascais, Portugal
Marco Franzitta
MARE—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Laboratório Marítimo da Guia and ARNET—Aquatic Research Infrastructure Network Associated Laboratory, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Nossa Senhora do Cabo, 939, 2750-374 Cascais, Portugal
Miguel Baptista
MARE—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Laboratório Marítimo da Guia and ARNET—Aquatic Research Infrastructure Network Associated Laboratory, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Nossa Senhora do Cabo, 939, 2750-374 Cascais, Portugal
Vanessa Lopes
MARE—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Laboratório Marítimo da Guia and ARNET—Aquatic Research Infrastructure Network Associated Laboratory, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Nossa Senhora do Cabo, 939, 2750-374 Cascais, Portugal
Silvia Simão
MARE—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Laboratório Marítimo da Guia and ARNET—Aquatic Research Infrastructure Network Associated Laboratory, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Nossa Senhora do Cabo, 939, 2750-374 Cascais, Portugal
Vanessa F. Fonseca
MARE—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre and ARNET—Aquatic Research Infrastructure Network Associated Laboratory, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
Bernardo Duarte
MARE—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre and ARNET—Aquatic Research Infrastructure Network Associated Laboratory, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
Rui Rosa
MARE—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Laboratório Marítimo da Guia and ARNET—Aquatic Research Infrastructure Network Associated Laboratory, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Nossa Senhora do Cabo, 939, 2750-374 Cascais, Portugal
Global ocean oxygen (O2) content is decreasing as climate change drives declines in oxygen solubility, strengthened stratification of seawater masses, increased biological oxygen consumption and coastal eutrophication. Studies on the biological effects of nocturnal decreased oxygen concentrations (hypoxia) on coral reefs are very scarce. Coral reefs are fundamental for supporting one quarter of all marine species and essential for around 275 million people worldwide. This study investigates acute physiological and photobiological responses of a scleractinian coral (Acropora spp.) to overnight hypoxic conditions (2). Bleaching was not detected, and visual and physical aspects of corals remained unchanged under hypoxic conditions. Most photobiological-related parameters also did not show significant changes between treatments. In addition to this, no significant differences between treatments were observed in the pigment composition. However, hypoxic conditions induced a significant decrease in coral de-epoxidation state of the xanthophyll cycle pigments and increase in DNA damage. Although the present findings suggest that Acropora spp. is resilient to some extent to short-term daily oxygen oscillations, long-term exposure to hypoxia, as predicted to occur with climate change, may still have deleterious effects on corals.
